-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monday , the official first day of winter , airlines were scrambling to accommodate passengers affected by the cancellation of hundreds of flights after a monster weekend winter storm blanketed a swath of the East Coast .

Charlene Fisk , a filmmaker from Atlanta , Georgia , tried her best not to lose it at Hartsfield International Airport on Monday at 4:30 a.m. when she found out she would n't be getting home to upstate New York anytime soon . Her US Airways connecting flight had been canceled , so she was placed on another flight to Philadelphia , which was then canceled .

She 's going to have to fly to Chicago on Monday evening , hopefully stay the night with friends and then hop on a standby flight to Syracuse . Her family will have to drive about an hour from their home to pick her up .

`` Passengers are talking about renting cars together and just driving home , '' Fisk said .

US Airways is picking up the tab to fly Fisk to Chicago . And while some airlines are offering refunds , a spokesman for Delta Air Lines said the company is providing weather waivers that allow passengers to reschedule without a penalty if they were scheduled to travel before Christmas .

Another strong winter system will be developing by Tuesday in the Rockies . The system will take a track through the central Plains , Midwest , and into the western Great Lakes . Winter storm and blizzard watches are already in effect for the Central Plains for Tuesday night through Thursday . Severe weather also will be possible from Dallas and Houston , Texas , to Little Rock , Arkansas , and New Orleans , Louisiana .

On Monday , CNN correspondent Susan Candiotti was taking her first day of vacation when she began a chaotic journey from Newark , New Jersey . Already with boarding pass in hand , she spent nearly two hours in three different lines because agents were unsure which line passengers should be in , she said .

Another agent eventually told Candiotti and others to go directly to TSA security where they got in another line . A different Continental agent then lead them to an upper floor to check their bags . Then , they were sent back to security and she made it to her 8:45 a.m. flight gate with 10 minutes to spare only to learn that the flight had been postponed until around 11 a.m. , when it eventually took off for Columbus , Ohio . Her final destination is northern Kentucky which she 'll eventually reach once her sister picks her up in Ohio and drives her home .

`` My experience today was nothing compared to many people we interviewed -LRB- on Sunday -RRB- who stood in line for three or four hours , '' Candiotti said . `` One student trying to get to Denver had to spend two sleepless nights at the airport . So , my delay pales by comparison . ''

Washington 's Dulles and Reagan National airports saw snowfall of 18 inches and 16.4 inches respectively on Sunday , the highest one-day totals ever for December .

Alison Young posted on her Facebook page that she 's glad her brother finally made it to Omaha , Nebraska . He arrived at 3 a.m. central time on Monday . He began his journey at 7 a.m. Sunday at Reagan National , had to scramble to find a flight out of Dulles , went through Denver and then made it home . `` Ca n't wait to attempt my own trek home Tuesday , '' Young joked .

American Airlines said it would add extra flights , use bigger planes where possible and reflow passengers to other flights . Passengers who were affected can switch flights with no change fees through Thursday , said Charley Wilson , airline spokesman .

Continental Airlines said though flights are extremely full because of the Christmas season , staffers are working on a `` case-by-case basis '' to ensure passengers get home for the holidays . Passengers can also get a refund or change their flights for free at Continental 's Web site or through the 800 number , said spokeswoman Mary Clark .

Areas from the Mid-Atlantic through the Northeast set snowfall records this weekend .

Record snow blanketed some areas Sunday , including 23 inches in Bethesda , Maryland , and 24 inches in Medford , New Jersey . Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , received 23.2 inches -- its second-highest snowfall ever in a single event .

Two people were killed in weather-related crashes , the Virginia State Police said Sunday , and `` there are two additional deaths that are likely related to the winter storm . ''

The storm , known as a nor'easter , blanketed the mid-Atlantic region and the heavily populated Interstate 95 corridor .

Meanwhile , western North Carolina residents were digging out from the powerful storm .

In Washington , Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said the storm is `` perhaps the biggest we 've seen in several years . ''

`` We are going to throw everything we have at it to keep the District open for business on this busy pre-holiday weekend , '' Fenty said when he announced the snow emergency . But , he also urged residents to stay put in their homes .

`` We urge everyone if you do n't have to go anywhere , wait . We should have a lot of streets ready to go by rush hour Monday . And , hopefully , all of it done between Monday and Wednesday . ''

Nine people were taken to a hospital after a bus and a city snow plow collided , a D.C. fire official said . The injuries were not considered serious .

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Monster weekend winter storm blankets a swath of the East Coast

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Atlanta passenger put on two canceled flights , must hopscotch home

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Stranded in NY : `` You sort of crumble once , get it over with and then put on a smile ''

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At least four deaths have been linked to the winter storm , officials say